The Israeli government has announced the killing of the Commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy, Alireza Tangsiri, in a targeted military operation.
Israeli Defence Minister, Israel Katz, confirmed the development on Thursday, stating that the senior Iranian naval commander was killed alongside several other officials.
Katz alleged that Tangsiri played a major role in military actions targeting the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
According to him, the commander was “directly responsible for the terrorist act of bombing and blocking the Strait of Hormuz.”
He added that Tangsiri was “blown up” during the operation along with other senior officials of the IRGC Navy whose identities had not yet been disclosed.
Tangsiri was a prominent figure in Iran’s military establishment. He was appointed commander of the IRGC Navy in 2018 after serving as the deputy commander of the force since 2010.
The Iranian authorities had yet to issue an official statement confirming or reacting to the reported strike as of the time of filing this report.
The slain commander was known for his strong opposition to Western influence in the Middle East.
An 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) account attributed to him had been active since March 10, frequently issuing warnings about activities around the Strait of Hormuz.
In one of the posts, Tangsiri reportedly warned that “no vessel associated with the aggressors against Iran has the right to pass through” the strategic waterway.
Tangsiri had previously warned that Iran could shut down the Strait of Hormuz if international sanctions disrupted the country’s oil exports.
In 2019, the United States Treasury imposed sanctions on him and several other IRGC commanders after Iran shot down a US surveillance drone near the Strait.
